'unlucky' Fredi

Glenn Roeder says that Fredi Kanoute is unlucky not to be in the France squad for this summer's World Cup finals.

Glenn believes that it is only because of exceptional competition up front that he has not forced his way into it, but believes it is a matter of time.

"Fredi is a young player, one of huge potential who hasn't played lots and lots of football.

"When he came to us from Lyons he hadn't played a lot of football there, he is learning all the time, and he is getting stronger.

"When Fredi is on form he is a big player for us - and certainly not one I would have liked to have played against.

"He is a little bit unlucky that there are so many good French stikers at the moment with Henry, Trezeguet, and Wiltord, just to name three.

"There is also a young player who is 20 or 21 called Gjbril Cisse who plays for Auxerre who, I am glad to say, they have kept in the U21s, and they have not pushed him through into the senior team who is rated in the £20m class in France, and he is competing with all these players - but if Fredi ever got the chance to play for France he wouldn't let them down."

Although he didn't score against Ipswich, Glenn says:

"I was pleased with Fredi's performance against Ipswich; the icing on the cake is always to score a goal when you are a striker and he had a couple of opportunities and where they have been going in this year, they didn't."

But he took his only chance at Fulham to seal all three points, before ending the game playing a lone role in attack as the Hammers held on to the win.

"It just left Fredi playing on his own up front and he took care of the two centre backs to make ourselves a very difficult 4-5-1 to beat; he was very motivated on Monday and he has got that physical presence that you would want.

"And Fredi's total of 10 league goals in 21 starts is fantastic, there is no doubt that he has improved again this year; he is a better and more complete player, and the manner in which he has finished his chances and the way he has taken those 10 goals has been excellent - there are some real crackers in there."